The work: Lesley Wengembo, the deep conciseness, 2019. Oil painting, 40 x 50cm. Courtesy: the artist.
Born in the highlands of Papua New Guniea, Lesley Wengembo grew up seeing art as an escape from the harsh realities of life. Painting portraits of older men and women from his PNG village, his practice is a way of preserving his cultural ties and history. He is now in his final year at the National Art School, Sydney.